Behind the scenes
by Arlesanna
Summary: A look beyond what we get to see on the show. Is May and Ward's affair as simple as it seems? What happens behind closed doors, in the bars and hotel rooms? Extra missions in between the episodes and slightly AU. Will include Avengers characters in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - don't own anything, Marvel does. This is rated T, but I do use the f-word and there are some sex references. You've been warned.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The breach<strong>

Set: Straight after Season 1 episode 8.

She left her fucking door open. Ward felt like the time froze. He felt himself moving toward the door, almost against his will.

Just minutes ago downstairs Skye all but propositioned him. She was quite smitten and quite upfront about it. He knew better. He knew his mission and he also knew Skye was way too endearing to mess with. Skye was dangerous. Skye was happy and cheerful and beautiful and she made him feel… She made him feel. He couldn't allow himself to start anything with her because he wasn't sure it wouldn't compromise his mission. He had to restrain himself. He'd to leave no matter how much he'd wanted to stay. And now this.

As he closed the door of May's room behind him he almost chuckled - he'd thought getting together with Skye was dangerous and now he's in the bedroom with the freaking Cavalry. Well done, Ward.

"Didn't think you meant this when you said "let me help"." Ward said sitting down on the bed. He knew he was taking a chance being this snarky with May, but he was angry. He was mad all the time and he had to contain it. All the time. And he had to keep to his mission. All the time. He was so deep undercover he could drown in it. So he decided to let go. This, now, had to be real. At least something in his life had to be real. He wanted, no, needed to be snarky and sarcastic and maybe mean and maybe a lot of other things and here now, he will not control himself, he will not have any strategy or plan. He'd just be himself. She can take it or break a couple of his bones - he didn't mind the risk.

"Actually…" May poured the whisky and handed Grant the glass. "When I said that I meant teaching you tai chi, and breathing techniques to help soothe the anger…" He lips formed her famous semi-smile and her eyes twinkled with mischief. "And when I left the door open that was an invitation to have sex." She pulled down the zipper on her leather jacket and slipped out of it. "But if you wanted a master class in anger control…" She slowly came up to Ward, who was unmoving on the bed. May bent down and whispered into his ear seductively "you should probably get the fuck out of here."

And then Ward laughed. That was certainly not what Melinda could have expected and he caught a glimpse of her genuinely surprised expression before he pulled her in for a rough kiss. That was exactly what he needed - an equal he could battle it out any way he needed - with words, sex, or even in the gym. And Melinda May was the perfect partner.

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><p>He woke up in the morning half expecting Melinda to be gone, even though it was her hotel room. However she was not. She was sitting on her side of the bed gloriously naked eating something. Ward smelled waffles - he tried to lift his head of the pillow to take a peak and regretted it immediately - his whole body was sore. No wonder - the fighting the day before was definitely excessive, and keeping up with May in bed surely didn't help. Ward couldn't suppress a groan and May looked at him lazily:<p>

"Too much for you?" she raised her eyebrow and smirked a little.

"It wasn't just you, you know. I've been in a fight yesterday too." Ward knew there was no denying his pitiful state. "But if you tell anyone, I'd have to tell them I saw you eating belgian waffles with wiped cream"

"I'd kill you" May sounded dead serious.

"You almost did last night" Ward was happy to see another small smile on her face. "Are there any waffles for me?"

"No" May was as talkative as usual.

"So what is this?" Ward sat up in bed and looked at May. She was devouring the waffle and Ward caught himself staring.

"What do you mean?" May didn't bat an eyelash, staring into her tablet, reading up on the morning news.

"You. Me. Naked."

"Didn't seem to bother you last night"

It didn't bother him now. Well, it did, but in a good way. Ward was about to offer May a repeat performance when he heard her dialing someone on her tablet. Ward saw Coulson ID and then heard Coulson himself answer:

"Hey May. I've been looking for you."

May chuckled slightly: "Sorry, sir, I slept in."

Ward heard Coulson laugh : "How very human of you. How was your night?"

May shrugged her shoulders: "Nothing special, sir. What's the game plan for today?"

"Take it easy. I'll see you back on the plane. No plan May, just relax. That's an order - do you copy?"

"Copy that, sir!" Melinda put her tablet away and sipped her morning coffee. Ward took in her naked form - her toned body looked spectacular in the morning light.

"That was wrong on so many different levels" - seeing May talking to Coulson while naked and in bed with no other then himself amused Ward to no end. He couldn't suppress a smile, feeling like he and May were in on a mischief mission together.

"I'm level eight, have to act accordingly" Melinda was still smiling, obviously happy. It was the first time Ward saw her playful like this. _"This must be how she looked like after pranking Fitz that night" _he thought to himself.

"You're beautiful" He said before he could shut himself up. May froze and then reached out for something on her bedside table.

Ward tensed, ready to take the hit, but it turned out, May didn't reach for the knife, gun, or whatever weapon he could imagine.

She silently placed a plate with belgian waffles before him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The touch**

Set: Immediately before Season 1 Episode 9.

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><p>Very soon Ward and May fell into a routine that was comfortable for both of them.<p>

Their affair didn't exist unless they met up in a hotel as far away from the bus as possible. Their silent agreement worked perfectly for them - it was as simple as it could be and Ward loved that.

It was quite ironic that the sordid and messy affair with someone who was not only a fellow member of his crew, the crew consisting of only six people, including himself, but also a legendary ninja killer, was the simplest thing in his life right now. And the most pleasant.

Their encounters happened quite often and it was always a get in - get out mission. They had to plan their trip back to the hotel and their trip back so that no one on the bus noticed a thing. Between the need-to-know-it-all Skye, two geniuses and one Coulson that was an extremely difficult task.

But once the hotel door closed behind them, it was just them and it was very simple.

He would normally get there first. He'd walk around the room restlessly, waiting for her.

She'd come in quietly, sometimes through the balcony.

He'd say something to rattle her:

"You are late, as always. You're never late with Coulson"

She'd always retort improperly:

"I never come with Coulson"

And then they wouldn't talk anymore.

There was some unspoken rules: no touching in the mornings, except for morning sex. No running away in the morning while the other one was sleeping. Weirdly there was no rule against cuddling. The nights he spent with May, pressed against her warm body Ward got his best sleep ever. May could say the same for herself. So they cuddled, however weird that was. Then again, not as weird as trying to sleep in the same bed without touching each other.

This morning was no different. Ward woke up to May still sleeping. He managed to steal a glance at her peaceful sleeping form, but she opened her eyes, alert, a second later. He smiled subtly and she visibly relaxed, closing her eyes lazily. _"Like a cat"_ - Ward thought to himself. He never had a cat, but May did resemble one a lot. Slender and graceful, dangerous, sexy, always on her own doing her thing.

Ward knew very well what their thing was to him, or better to say what it wasn't, but he didn't even imagine he could guess what was going inside May's head. She might hate him, she might love him, he'd never know. At least that's what he told himself, preferring not to admit knowing she didn't really care.

And that's when the touch happened.

At first it was Ward's idea. He loved breaking the rules and she was sleeping so peacefully it was easy to forget how deadly she really was. He reached forward and gently traced her face with his fingers, then her lips. It wasn't a lover's touch, more of a curious one. Ward knew he was on dangerous ground, but this particular risk gave him a thrill, instead of a dull ache he normally felt when he was on dangerous ground, such as living on a bus undercover as Garreth's man. He smiled to himself, knowing that May wasn't really asleep, that she was actually allowing for this to happen, that she was in on this game he started. And that's when it happened.

May languidly reached out for his hand, entwining her fingers with his and rested their now joined hands between them, still in her morning haze, not really waking up or opening her eyes. Ward stiffened. They were lying in bed like a real couple, their hands joined in an intimate lovers touch. He meant to play with her, but her move was a checkmate. He started this and she turned it around on him masterfully. He could feel her smiling triumphantly on the inside at the situation she put him in. Ward didn't know what to do - letting go of her hand now would be admitting defeat and staying like this wasn't an option - it was way too intimate, way too real for their thing. Finally the corners of Melinda's mouth twitched - she opened her eyes, fully aware and stared right into Grant's brown orbs. Very slowly she freed her hand from his, and stretched sensually, catlike. Grant chuckled, felling like a mouse who was just let out of a trap. Melinda May was surely not kidding around.

"You don't play a player" he thought to himself. At least now he knew for sure they were on the same page - she obviously didn't want this to be anything more then sex, and her stare and the deliberate touch proved that at least.

When he got out of shower that morning she casually left the room while he was still talking to her.

"Well, there goes our no leaving in the morning rule" - Ward thought to himself. Obviously as he broke one rule, she broke another. His softest touch might have ruined the little intimacy they did have.

But if there was one thing Grant Ward hated, it was being treated like a puppy in need of training. Right now she was obviously driving this, but it was about to stop - she will have to play by his rules too, or she could forget their thing ever happened. Fuming, Grant left the hotel and headed for the bus.

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><p>By the time he got there he was his calm composed self again, but her nonchalant "you're late" made him mad all over again. She was something, but Grant was sure he could handle her. Right now he just needed to punch something. Hard.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: ****The Incident**

Over the course of the next few weeks Grant Ward was constantly on edge.

Turned out the asgardian had lied to him – the effects of the staff were wearing off quite quickly – and Ward was feeling like himself again. The fury that had been living inside him was slowly dying out like a flame, but somehow Melinda May managed to be the only thing infuriating enough to ignite that flame over and over again. She was a problem.

After his first night with her Grant knew it had been a big mistake. He knew that once it was discovered he was a spy May would have a personal agenda and would be even more dangerous then she might be now, if that's possible at all. Well, with May everything's possible. But on the other had Ward knew he could try to turn this aroud.

He didn't know a lot about May, but he knew for sure she was lonely. Yes, she was strong and self-accomplished, but she was lonely. While Coulson was a man who always needed to help someone, to teach someone life's important lessons, he would always accept everyone's admiration and trust in return. Melinda May was different – she would always look out for everyone, but she'd let no one look out for her or take care of her. She'd built a wall around herself that very few people could break through and Ward knew if he played his cards right he could have her falling for him soon. And falling for him meant the Ice Queen having all sorts of mixed feelings that he could later play in his favor.

If there was anything Ward knew about women it was that they were led by their imagination. With May he would have to move slow as she was cautious as a devil, but he believed, that he would be able to slowly make her suspect he was having deep feelings for her. Then he would make her believe it. Then she will feel safe enough to let him in. Then he would give her all she ever dreamed of. And then he will be in charge of her.

His plan was laid out quite simply – first be independent and play by her rules, making her rules his own. That took a month and went perfectly – they were in complete sync and after some time he knew she was getting comfortable with the arrangement. It was time for the next move.

The next move had been the touch. His first attempt one morning a couple of weeks ago failed miserably – May reacted immediately, warning him to back off for good. But that didn't really stop Grant. If seducing her into loving him had been a plan before, that plan surely turned into a very personal goal now.

After the infamous touch Ward decided to proceed with more caution. He never attempted to touch her bluntly like he did at first, he changed his tactics.

When they met he behaved as indifferently and emotionlessly as before, making dirty jokes and moving straight for undressing her and getting to business. May seemed to enjoy that strategy a lot, she wasn't much of a talker anyway. Then while they had sex he held her just a bit tighter then nesessary, stroked her back tenderly, or looked her in the eyes with a longing expression - like he was being lost in the moment and his feelings were showing beyond his control. He created the image of his affection slipping through the cracks perfectly, and at first it seemed she didn't notice. Until she did.

First Ward picked up on the fact that she was rying hard not to notice. She'd close her eyes, or she'd bite down on his shoulder as soon as he'd get too tender with her, she'd change their position as soon as he'd try to hold her tight, she also started leaving while he was sleeping.

That's when Ward knew he was on the right track. Now she was well aware of his "growing feelings" for her and she was obviously trying to escape them. At this point Grant was truly on dangerous grounds – he had to keep her alert, and he had to be careful not to push too hard - Ward knew that she could back out at any moment. And he couldn't allow her to. Also, the sex was amazing.

After a couple of weeks manifesting his pseudo-feelings in bed, Ward knew it was time to take the game out of the bedroom. The next step would be to carefully start showing he was into her in the real life. To make her believe that on the inside he'd made up his mind to be with her and was trying to show her that, trying to prove she could trust him.

His first attempts – flirting on the bus during their combat workout and one of the classic moves – taking a punch for her - were met with anger. That was hardly surprising.

However, she didn't break it off and she even told Coulson about their thing which was a small victory for Ward – no matter what she said about it or how she ignored him on the bus, she had just made them official. The plan was working.

It was all going perfectly well until one bad day happened.

After the train debacle May's shoulder was badly hurt and it could have been a perfect point for Ward to establish himself as the one who would always take care of her. Ward knew if she let him fix her up it would be very personal, moreover it would mean he was allowed into the close circle. And it would have happened, if not for Coulson. Of course she chose the boss. She might have been harbouring a secret crush on the guy for all Ward knew. But for now he was just mad his moment was taken away.

The day spiralled out of control after that.

May was hurt and Skye was dying. Skye was dying. Ward couldn't think straight – he couldn't believe Garreth would go after her. Somehow in his mind Skye was not a part of all of this – except in reality she was and now that really hit him. Against his will he really got attached to the girl and seeing her pale and wounded, slowly dying, was terrifying. However it was knowing he was partly to blame that pushed him over the edge. He needed a distraction. May was a perect one.

And then the incident happened.

Skye had been in surgery for two hours already – and it seemed like it would take up the whole night so he left. He sought May out in a bar across town – she was sitting at the bar alone drinking.

"Hey" – Ward sat next to her.

May nodded silently without looking at him.

Ward motioned for the bartender to take his order. A short-haired blond girl poured another customer a drink and turned her attention to him.

"Whiskey on the rocks" – Ward said to the girl.

She reached for the whiskey bottle and smiled at May:

"Your friend?"

"Not really", May smirked, looking the girl straight in the eyes. The girl was smiling openly now and Ward though she was very attractive. She had a lot of piercings in her ears, one in her nose and her arms were tattoed up to her neck, but somehow it suited her with her perfect girly face and large green eyes. She looked like a tinkerbell gone bad. Hot, definitely hot.

"Boyfriend?" – the girl asked playfully

Ward's "Something like that" and Melinda's second "Not really" clashed and the silence fell over the three of them. Melinda sipped her drink nonchalantly.

"Right…" now it was time for the girl to smirk. She was really taking her time with that whiskey eyeing them both.

And then May laughed. It was barely there, more a series of chuckles then a real laughter, but she surely did. That was very surprising for Ward, but not as surprising as what happened next.

"When do you get off?" – May asked the bartender, ignoring him completely.

"Normally about 10 minutes in with a skilled partner" – the bartender answered insolently

May's smirk got several degrees dirtier:

"Bet I could take that down to five?" - May arched her brow suggestively and all Ward could do was sip his whiskey.

"I should get off work right about now then" – The girl said, smirking herself.

"You should" – May was finished with her drink and stood up slowly – "Upstairs. Room 43."

The girl nodded and watched May leave the bar. Then she turned her attention to Ward.

"Well your drink has to be on the house" she said, smiling sweetly at him. "That was rather brutal"

Ward didn't asnwer.

The thing is, Grant Ward had a plan, and right now it looked like his plan was not working. At all.


End file.
